🌊 Consumed by the Waves
Story
A short tragic story set in a fantasy setting with mermaids, myths revolving a fictional deity, and fantasy illness. There are four total endings.
The protagonist, Willow, has to go find a mermaid to use its meat to cure their mother's illness. Along the way, they encountered a starving mermaid named Gale—and they had to choose between killing it for the sake of their family, saving the mermaid, or indulging in their personal whim.
Behind the Scenes
The story concept first started off as me wanting to write a love story between a human and a mermaid. But somewhere during conceptualization, it eventually ended up in a story where the human or mermaid is doomed to kill the other. There are no traces of romance like I first intended (unless you find how Willow kills Gale/was killed by Gale to be romantic, which I won't judge).
You can also find the Tumblr posts I've tagged for this project here!
In-Story Stuff Infodump
- Speaking of romance, I don't think Willow really cares about it. At most, they probably think Gale looks pretty. That's it.
- Gale, on the other hand, didn't have much of its characterization moments beyond being a character who could turn Willow's fate over... Honestly, I think Gale would still be somewhat interested in romance. Just not with Willow, someone it mainly sees as food.
- This story was set at the Sacred Earth, specifically during the Lonely Era.
- In the story, Willow explictedly referred to as she/her by their siblings, while being mainly referred as they/them when I talk about them anywhere else.
- They/her pronouns are fine for them.
- Their gender is pretty much “i’m probably nonbinary but i have a job so idrc about that rn”.
- Speaking of pronouns... While Willow referred to Gale with it/its pronouns the whole time, it/her are okay to use for Gale.
- Willow was intended to have a pretty blurry sense of identity and morality. Plus some morbid tendencies (mostly visible when Willow chose the option to kill Gale for their family).
- I intended to make Gale and Willow relationship to be something akin to hunter-prey. They mainly see each other as a potential prey/food.
After the Story
No matter what ending, Willow is reborn as an Abyssal Mermaid.
Abyssal Soul Dealers takes place after this, involving the new Abyssal Mermaid.
Gallery
